January 5, 2020 at 2:23 pm
Dr. Heather Ashton, a psychopharmacologist and author of the “Ashton Manual,” has died. The New York Times reports that Ashton’s lasting achievements include helping doctors and patients recognize and respond to benzo withdrawal and related adverse drug effects.
Dr. Ashton’s ability to listen to patients helped her collect accurate data used to develop the manual for benzo withdrawal and appropriate deprescribing.
“Patients themselves, and not the medical profession, were the first to realize that long-term use of benzodiazepines can cause problems,” wrote Dr. Ashton.
Read the full article here.
December 28, 2019 at 3:16 pm
Isotretinoin, commonly marketed under the brand name, Roaccutane, is being reviewed by UK drug regulators after an increase of deaths among product consumers. The drug can cause severe “anxiety, aggression and violence, changes in mood, or suicidal thoughts,” all of which are also listed symptoms of akathisia.
Robert Reeves, the father of the late Luke Reeves, who died at age 21, said he believes his son’s death is related to “a four-month course of Roaccutane.” Luke “become irrational and lethargic” after taking the drug.
Mr. Reeves told an Essex Coroner’s Court that Luke’s personality changed completely after starting the drug and he believes Roche is responsible for ‘murdering people.’
Read the full article here.
December 24, 2019 at 12:25 pm
May the lights & spirit of the season usher in a better world for all. Thank you for helping MISSD help others.
December 20, 2019 at 5:23 pm
If you’re in NYC this weekend, please snap & share MISSD’s new akathisia subway ads and post on social media. Akathisia awareness can save lives. Here’s where to see them.
December 19, 2019 at 1:25 pm
New akathisia awareness ads sponsored by MISSD have arrived in subway stations across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx. The ads were strategically chosen to run in December to reach residents and international travelers during the peak tourism season.
MISSD hopes “people who may be suffering from akathisia, or have a relative or friend showing akathisia symptoms, will see the ads and specifically mention the possibility of akathisia upon hospital admission, ” said MISSD founder, Wendy Dolin
Read more about MISSD’s NYC ad campaign here.
December 18, 2019 at 3:57 pm
It’s a busy holiday season and many families are preparing for long-distance road trips. Make sure to ask your doctor if any prescription medications you are taking can impair driving. Over-the-counter drugs can do so, too.
Get the full story here.
December 16, 2019 at 4:48 pm
Another important article about drug safety from the New York Times today. It’s good to see this topic in the news. Get the full story here.
December 16, 2019 at 11:54 am
MISSD is glad to see drug safety covered in today’s New York Times. Read the article here.
December 10, 2019 at 1:14 pm
A new study finds pharmaceutical products rushed through an expedited FDA approved process are “48% more likely to get either a black-box warning or to receive contraindications that restrict the drug’s use.”
Read the full story here.
December 6, 2019 at 1:56 pm
“Older adults prescribed more medications are likely to be hospitalized for an adverse drug reaction. Moreover, adverse drug events account for more morbidity and mortality than most chronic diseases, with death rates higher than many common cancers,” state authors Dee Mangin of McMaster University and Doron Garfinkel of Israel Cancer Association.
Their research addresses the widespread effects of inappropriate medication use and polypharmacy (IMUP).
Get the full story here.
